Container for surgeons&#39; ligatures



; J n 2 G. B. RITCHIE 1,7 7

CONTAINER FOR SURGEONS LIGATURES Filed Sepg. 20, 1927 lll Patented June18, 1929.

UNITED STATES 1 1,718,078 PATENT OFFICE.

' (.TEORGE 'BALIFOUR RITCHIE, OF GLASGOW, SCOTLAND.

11 'CONTAINER FOR SURGEONS LIGATURES.

Application filed. September 20, 1927, Serial No. 220,739, and in GreatBritain October 7, 1926.

This invention has reference to containers for surgeons ligatures. Suchligatures are usually supplied in bundles, each ligature being about 12to 15 inches long.

My invention has for its object to provide a container whereby ligaturescan be conveniently carried and from which single ligatures can bereadily withdrawn as required.

Towards this end the improved container comprises a cylindrical boxwherein a bundle of ligatures can be housed, the cylindrical wall ofsaid box having an opening therein,

7 a resilient tongue located opposite said opening over which the bundleof ligatures are passed and by which the ligatures are se curely held inposition with a portion thereof projecting through or adjacent saidopening, in combination with a cover which normally covers said openingand protects the ligatures and which can be moved to un cover theopening so that ligatures-can be withdrawn as required.

A preferred construction of the improved container comprises acylindrical box, the cylindrical wall of which is cut tov form a tongueor tongues and which tongue or tongues is, or are, further provided witha hole punched or otherwise formed therein.

A lid provided with a cylindrical wall enclosesthe box, the wall of thelid being provided with an opening therein.

In use the ligatures lie in a coil within the box and are threadedthrough the hole or holes in the tongue or tongues so that a portionthereof is exposed or exterior thereto.

The lid is then fitted over the box, the wall of the lid normallycovering the exposed portion of the ligatures.

When it is desired to withdraw a ligature the lid is given a partialrotary movement to bring the opening in the wall thereof into registerwith the portion of the ligatures'exterior of the tongue or tongues. Aligature can then be withdrawn from the container after which thelid isagain given a partial rotary movement to againcover the exposed portionof the ligatures.

The tongue or tongues is, or are, slightly turned inwardly so that theportion of the ligatures lying on the outer face thereof does notprevent the lid being placed over the cylindrical box. The tongue ortongues being slightly resilient also serves or serve to prevent toofree a movement of the lid.

In order that my invention will be properly understood I have hereuntoappended an explanatory sheet of drawings illustrating' byway ofexample, a preferred embodiment ofgny invention and whereon Figure 1 isan elevation of the improved container showing the parts in their'normal position.

Figure 2 is a similar view but showing the parts forming the containerin their relative positions when it is desired to withdraw a ligature.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view on the lines 3-3 Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view on the lines H Figure 2. r I

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 Figure sand, i

Figure 6 is a section on theline 6-6 Figure 4.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the container the covering cap thereofbeing removed. 7

Referring to the drawings p The receptacle comprises essentially a boxlike cylindrical receptacle a and a lid or cover I). The wall of thereceptacle is cut vertically at a see Fig. 2, and horizontally at d toform two tongues e and 7 having holes c and f respectively punchedtherein. Said tongues are turned slightlyinwardly. The cylindrical wallof the lid is provided with a hole or slot 9.-

The top of the lid portion is recessed as at h to form a receptacle forneedles or other instruments, the bottom of the recess being providedwith a number of perforations p. A cap 2' is removably fitted on thelid, being conveniently secured thereto by a bayonet'joint. For thispurpose the lid is provided with two projections j and the cap is cutaway as at is to permit it being slipped over said projec- .tions.

The ligatures are enclosed within the receptacle a, being threadedthrough the hole 0 over the ends of the two tongues and through the hole7. A coil of ligatures m is indicated in dotted lines Figures 3 and 4,and a portion of the coil is shown in Figure 7.

The lid when in its normal position, covers and protects the portion ofthe ligatures exterior to the said tongues.

Should it be found necessary to withdraw a ligature it is simplynecessary to partly rotate the lid portion Z) relative to the boxportion a so that the opening 9 registers with the portion of theligatures exterior to the tongues as indicated in Figs. 2, 4, 6 and 7. A

ligature can then be easily withdrawn and the lid again partly rotatedwith respect to the box portion so that the ligatures are againcompletely covered.

The tongues serve to maintain the ligatures in position and, as they areslightly resilient, the ligatures are normally pressed against the wallof the lid thereby holding the latter in position.

The ligatures can thereby be carried in a compact and clean manner andwithdrawn as required without being lingered or allowed to come incontact with foreign matter, and Without danger of a number of ligaturesbeing unintentionally withdrawn at once and thereby probably rendereduseless.

The needles and other articles carried in the recess provided in the lidportion may be sterilized in the usual manner, by subjecting same to theaction of steam, the steam entering the recessed portions through holesprovided at the bottom of the recess.

If desired the container may be provided with means for holding needlescomprising a helical spring between the coils of Which needles can beinserted as indicated in dotted lines Figure 7 whereon n indicates thespring and 0 the needles.

It will be understood that by ligatures I mean all forms of threads usedby surgeons and doctors for binding and sewing.

l/Vhat I claim is I 1. A container comprising a cylindrical box whereina bundle of ligatures can be housed, two adjacent tongues formed bycutting the cylindrical wall of said box, a hole provided in each ofsaid tongues so that the ligatures can be threaded through said holesand over the ends of the tongues, and a cylindrical casing enclosingsaid wall of the box, the casing having an opening therein, which can bebrought into register with said tongues.

2. A container comprising a cylindrical box wherein a bundle ofligatures can be housed, a resilient tongue formed by cutting thecylindrical wall of said box, said tongue having a hole therein, acavity formed in the end of said box, a removable lid for said cavity, abase for said container and a cylindrical casing carried by said baseand enclosingthe cylindrical wall of the box, said casing'having anopening which can be brought into register with the said resilienttongue.

3. A container comprising a cylindrical box, wherein a bundle, ofligatures can be housed, two adjacent resilient tongues formed bycutting the cylindrical wall circumferen;

tially and at right angles thereto, said tongues each having a holetherein, a base and a cylindrical casing carried by said base,saidfcasing being rotatable with respect to and enclosing thecylindrical wall of box, and having an opening therein which can bebrought into register with said tongues. I I I 4. A container comprisinga cylindrical box wherein a bundle of. ligatures can be housed, a tongueformed by cutting the cylindrical wall of said box, a hole beingprovided in said tongueso that the ligatures can be threaded throughsaidhole and over the end of thetongue, and a cylindrical casing enclosingsaid wall of the box, the casing having an opening therein which can bebrought into.

register with said tongue. 7

enonen B. mom;

